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NEXT LEVEL SERVING

Matthew 20:20-28

• Who are the most important people at Celebration Church?
• Jesus – “Anyone wanting to be a leader among you must be your servant. And if you want to be right at the top, you must serve like a slave. Your attitude must be like my own, for I, the Messiah, did not come to be served, but to serve.” (Matthew 20:26-28)
• The most crucial people at Celebration Church are those who serve the Lord by serving others with their time and talents (Matthew 20:26-28).
• The Bible tells us that God has: 1) Created us to serve Him by serving others (Ephesians 2:10), 2) Called us to serve Him by serving others (Romans 7:4), and 3) Gifted us so we can serve Him by serving others (Romans 12:6-11, 1 Corinthians 12:4-11).
• “God has given each of you a gift from His great variety of spiritual gifts. Use them well to serve one another.” (1 Peter 4:10)
• Why does God want us to be involved in serving Him and others, and what steps can we take to obey this directive from Him?

We Need To Be Involved In Serving God And Others Because:
THERE IS LOTS OF WORK TO BE DONE

• At Celebration we minister to thousands of people in our worship services, and so on a typical weekend we need lots of people serving with the Facility, Greeting, Kidztown, Midpoint, Music, Prayer Counseling, Worship Tech, etc. ministries.
• In a typical week at Celebration we need lots of people involved in serving in our Administration, Community Outreach, Discipleship, Hospital Visitation, Follow-up, Kidztown, Life Group, Midpoint, Social (Youth) and other ministries.
• “A spiritual gift is given to each of us so we can help each other.” (1 Corinthians 12:7)
• The secret to Celebration’s success over the years has been the power of God’s Spirit and the efforts of God’s people.
• “Never be lazy . . . , but serve the Lord enthusiastically.” (Romans 12:11)

We Need To Be Involved In Serving God And Others Because:
WE NEED TO GROW A TON

• “You must grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” (2 Peter 3:18)
• We grow in the “grace of the Lord” by studying His Word and by serving Him through serving others.
• As we serve the Lord and others we learn about the values of: 1) Dependability (1 Corinthians 4:2), 2) Expediency (Ecclesiastes 11:4), 3) Humility (1 Peter 5:6), 4) Opportunity (Galatians 6:10), and 5) Unity (1 Corinthians 12:22, 27).
• As we serve the Lord and others we also learn about the value of Reciprocity.
• “You will always harvest what you plant. Those who live only to satisfy their own sinful nature will harvest decay and death from that sinful nature. But those who live to please the Spirit will harvest everlasting life from the Spirit” (Galatians 6:7-8)

We Need To Be Involved In Serving God And Others Because:
THERE ARE MANY SOULS TO BE WON

• Jesus – “My nourishment comes from doing the will of God, who sent Me, and from finishing His work. You know the saying, ‘Four months between planting and harvest.’ But I say, wake up and look around. The fields are already ripe for harvest. The harvesters are paid good wages, and the fruit they harvest is people brought to eternal life. What joy awaits both the planter and the harvester alike!” (John 4:34-36)
• If we really care about people experiencing the abundant and eternal life that the Lord give to His people, we will get involved in serving God by serving others.

We Need To Be Involved In Serving God And Others Because:
SERVING THE LORD IS FUN

• “When you obey My commandments, you remain in My love, just as I obey my Father’s commandments and remain in His love. I have told you these things so that you will be filled with My joy. Yes, your joy will overflow!” (John 15:10-11)
• There are lots of fun things to do in life, but serving with others in ways that blesses God and benefits people brings lots of joy and purpose to our lives.

We Need To Be Involved In Serving God And Others Because:
WE’RE UNDER THE GUN

• Jesus – “We must quickly carry out the tasks assigned us by the One who sent us. The night is coming, and then no one can work.” (John 9:4)
• We never know when Jesus may return or our time on earth may be over, so we need to get involved in serving the Lord and others while we can.
• “Don’t use your freedom to satisfy your sinful nature. Instead, use your freedom to serve one another” (Galatians 5:13)
• What are the Lord’s rewards for those who serve Him and others? When we serve the Lord and others we will see Lives being Changed.
  • “Philip went to the city of Samaria and told the people there about the Messiah. . . . Many evil spirits were cast out . . .And many who had been paralyzed or lame were healed. So there was great joy in that city.” (Acts 8:5-8)
• When we serve the Lord and others we’ll receive Commendations from Him.
  
  • “God will not forget how hard you have worked for Him and how your have shown your love to Him by caring for other Christians.” (Hebrews 6:10)
  • The Lord in Heaven – “Well done good and faithful servant.” (Matthew 25:21)
• When we serve the Lord by and others we will receive Directions for Eternity.
  
  • Jesus – “’Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things so; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!” (Matthew 25:21)
• Most of what we do in life doesn’t matter – but serving God always matters.
• “Throw yourselves into the work of the Master, confident that nothing you do for Him is a waste of time or effort.” (1 Corinthians 15:58 Msg)
• How does God want me to use my time and talents to serve Him and others – and what ministries do I need to get involved in at Celebration Church?